Reusable screw top can



y 8, 1952 J. E. REGAN 2,602,565

REUSABLE SCREW TOP CAN Filed July 6,- 1950 IN VENTOR HM,J 801%? I ATTORNEYS Patented July 8, 1952 w 2,502,565. 7 REUSABLE SCREWTOP oAN b John Began,I 3lmhurst,N.Y.

Application July 6; 1950, Serial No. 172,303

' The present invention'relates:toicontainers of the tin-can type and has for its principal objectivestheprovision of an improved screw'type end closure' for the can body thus rendering the can reusable'fo'r general purposes and especially forfood storage sincethe can-becomes hermeti-' cally sealed when the closure member is screwed tightly in place over the open can end.

Another object is to provideanimproved can construction having a removable end cap, in which the periphery of the can at the open, cap end is beadedover in aradially outward direction therebysto establish a seat for a sealing asket and also provide a smooth surfaced mouth that makes it easier to pour out the can'c'ontents when the latter are liquids.

Another object is to provide a reusableg can that presents a substantially smooth interior surface,; e. g. truly cylindricaL'thus making it easier to clean and thereby .decreasing the possibility of food contamination which might result from inadequate cleaning of the can interior. The foregoing as wellas other objects and advantages inherent in theinvention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred can construction embodying the invention together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the can with the end closure cap in place;

Figs. 2 and 3 are top and bottom plan views, respectively; and

Fig. 4 is a view in central vertical section through the upper end of the can and cap, it being noted that this view is drawn to a much greater scale than the other views'in order to show the inventive structural features more clearly, and moreover is limited to those portions of the cap and can body adjacent the perimeters thereof.

With reference now to the drawing, the main body of the can I can be generally conventional, the particular construction illustrated in Fig. 1 being of tin plate with the usual longitudinally extending lap and lock seam 2 and bottom end closure plate 3.

The upper end of the can shown in Fig. 4 is however quite unconventional and in fact unique, including a collar or sleeve 4 threaded intermediate its ends at 4a, the sleeve being so dimensioned as to make a snug press fit with the outer face of the can body I. As a practical mater the threads 4:; are preferably rolled on the sleeve 4 before the latter is slid into place over the upper, open end of the can. The upper and lower unthreaded 1 Claim (01.220 29) portions lb, of'the e V sleeve extend foras'ub stantiaY'distance along the can" body to establish a firm grip upon the latter while the intermediate threaded portion'is preferably spaced somewhat radially "outward from the can body in order to accommodate a large diametercap-to make-for easier screwing on and off of the cap'by hand. Of course, if the diameterof the can be' s'ufilciently largealready, the intermediate threaded por- 1iion of the sleeve may be set in closer to the can The lower endofthe sleeve is stopped by. a plurality :of small bosses S'pr'essed out from the can body and theupperzend is beadedl'over' 'at' 4d in a'radially outward direction. The sleeve 4 mayalso be spot'welded if desired tothe can body to improve the connection between the two'there-. by decrea'singthe possibility of the sleeve rotating, on the can body when the cap is screwed on.

Such welds are indicated at 6. c A

The upper end of the cylindrical can body is beaded over the beaded end 4d of the sleeve at Ia, itbeing noted in particular .that the bead ,la .is also'formed by. .rolling the rim of the can ina' radially outward direction: The circular bead la is. thus external rather than internal with respect to the can body and permits the latter to present a smooth surfaced mouth for easier pouring off of liquid contents from the can. Moreover the smooth mouth is easier to keep clean and therefore more sanitary.

The end closure member for the can is seen to be a cap 1 preferably metal having a threaded cylindrical rim la for engagement with. the threads do. on the sleeve. A pair of ribs lb, 1c concentric with the cap'center are formed at the under side of the cap end such as by die pressing from the upper side. The outer rib lb, preferably located substantially in radial alignment with the circular bead la on the can end, is completely circular. The inner rib 10, located substantially midway between the cap center and its rim, is however broken at diametrally opposite points by a pair of bosses 'le, pressed outwardly from the cap material.

As seen clearly from Fig. 4, the inner rib 1c constitutes a centering device for a plate 8 having a central cylindrical die pressed recess 8a into I explanatory. However a brief summary will be conducive to a clearer understanding of the structure. Threaded sleeve 4 being integral with the rest of the can body, ring 9 will be pressed upon its seat, bead la, as cap I is screwed down by hand upon sleeve 4 thus hermetically sealing the interior of the can. Moreover, since plate 8 is rotatable upon cap I, there is no tendency for the sealing ring 9 to rotate while the cap is being screwed down thus eliminating anychance of the ring being twisted off its seat to establish a leakage path for air into the can between the seat la and under face of ring 9.

. tosaid can body at the other end thereof, said other can end being beaded over a bead at the end of said sleeve in a radially outward direction to form a smooth pouringlip reinforced by the bead onl said sleeve, a threaded cap adapted to be screwed" onto the threaded portion of said sleeve,

, and a sealing ring seated on said lip and pressed Rather once the ring 9 and plate 8 are seated, the circular rib l'b on the cap will slide in surface engagement with plate 8 as the cap is screwed down, the plate 1 "into contact therewith by said cap, said cap includinga pair of radially spaced arcuate ribs raised upon the inside surface thereof concentrically'with the cap center and further including apressure'plate having an offset central portion establishing a central circular recess at the upper side thereof receiving the innermost rib on the cap, the latter can easily be started byinserting -a knife blade orthe like between: the-pro-'-.

jections 1e and applying a torque to the blade about the axis of the can.

The pre-threaded sleeved may be applied to the can body in various ways but the following described method is deemed the most practical.

Initially, the upper end of the can I from which is ultimately formed the bead I a is plain edged. This permits the sleeve to be. forced down 'upon the canbody from above .in-"a press until the former-is stopped by the bosses 5. A beadingtool is thenused to turn the bead la over thev pre-formedbead Ad on the sleeve. Alternatively, the upper. end of sleeve '4. 'may:also be plain. edged in which case, both be'adsiAa and la said cap for centering said plate relatively to said cap. and ia.central circular boss at the under side ithereof having .a". diameter substantially equal to" the internal diameter of said. sealing ring for receiving and centering the ring on.said plate, the outermost'rib on said cap being of approximately the same xdiameteras the said could be formed simultaneouslytby the beading.

however departing from the spirit and scope of Number Name Date 2,156,585 "Efnkur -May 2, 1 939 2,253,023' Fabricecan Aug. 19, 1941 QREI NQPA'I'ENTS Number, 7 Country 7 Date 285,612 Great' Britain 'Feb. 23, 1928 501,925 Great--Britain Mar; 8, 1939 628,520- Germany -Apr. 6, 1936 646,049- 7 Germany June 7, 1937 

